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long-term plan — plan for the future

collocationB1IELTS 5+neutralcommon

A plan that is made to achieve something important over a long period of time, usually months or years.

Say it like a native

Textbook We have formulated a strategy oriented toward the distant future.

Native We've got a long-term plan.

'A long-term plan' is natural; the paraphrase is corporate.

Pattern: long-term plan (for/to do something)

In use

  • Saving money for a house is part of my long-term plan.daily life
  • In my opinion, having a long-term plan is important because it helps you stay focused and motivated, especially when working towards big goals.IELTS speaking

Common mistake

✗ It's a long term plan.

✓ It's a long-term plan.

Hyphenate before a noun — 'a long-term plan' (but 'in the long term', no hyphen).

Common collocations

  • a long-term plan — have, in the long term, goal, strategy

Don't confuse it

A 'short-term plan' is for things you want to do soon, while a 'long-term plan' is for the distant future.

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